The Real Quake Phoebe's Journey
by Doug2
Summary: Phoebe must travel back through time to the time of the great quake to save her sister Prue. Please review.


PHOEBE AND THE QUAKE

RATING: PG

Prue sat in her office looking at the most beautiful ring she had ever seen. It had a variety of tiny gemstones surrounding the biggest blood red ruby that she had ever seen. The ring held Prue breathless.

"It is incredible, absolutely beautiful," said Prue to Mr. Defoe. "The setting itself is over 150 years old. The cut stones are much older. And this ruby is just, just.. incredible. The ring must be worth two hundred thousand dollars. And if we can drum up enough public interest in it, we might break the record for this type of jewelry. Are you sure you want to part with it?"

"It belonged to my late great-uncle and is really of no sentimental value. I need the cash for a business venture. Open up the ring, there is a unique inscription inside," said Mr. Defoe motioning to the ring.

Prue found a small latch on the side of the ring and pulled on it. The top of the ring opened toward her. She heard a small mechanical noise like a paperclip breaking and felt a prick on her index finger. It happened so fast Prue never even said, "Ouch."

"What was that?" said Prue as she felt her finger start to throb. Then her whole hand and arm started to burn. She felt dizzy and placed her hand to her head.

"Miss Halliwell, are you alright?" her client asked.

As her chest started to burn she passed out on her desk with one arm reaching up for the intercom.

Mr. Defoe just sat there with a huge grin from ear to ear.

"Victory!" he thought to himself. "The other two Charmed Ones will be pushovers compared to one. Ha-ha-ha." He took the ring off her finger and walked nonchalantly from Prue's office and headed for the stairs.

Immediately, Prue's assistant, Anne, knocked on the door.

"Prue, are you done? I've got the McMahon contract all ready to sign." she stated. "Oh, no! Oh my God. Prue! PRUE!" she called out.

She shook Prue firmly, but she would not awaken. "Call an ambulance, Betty!" she cried.

When Piper and Phoebe reached the emergency room, Prue was still being examined by several doctors. She was hooked up to a multitude of monitors and had three or four IV drips in her left arm. Phoebe was trying to see what the doctors were doing while Piper just jumped up and down getting more and more nervous.

"EEEEKKKK! What's going, on Phoebe, can you see anything?" said Piper almost unintelligently.

"They are just milling around her. No specific treatment I can tell. I'm going in there." said Pheebs with determination. She charged in while one doctor who had just left the other physicans stopped her.

"Where are you going, Miss?" said the very handsome young doctor.

"That's my sister in there and she needs me," said Phoebe anxiously.

"What she needs is for you to wait here. You'll only get in the way in there. We'll keep you informed when we know something." he said in a reassuring tone.

"Do you KNOW what's wrong with her?" asked Piper still hyper.

"Tests are still being run, but it's the strangest case we ever saw. She is burning up and has these green splotches on her arms and legs, like no color we have ever seen in skin irritation. And her blood is decomposing and turning into a toxin. In other words she's poisoning herself." he said scratching his head.

"Can you help her?" asked Phoebe.

"Not till we find out what she has." he said. "Stay here and we let you know any developments. I have got to call in another specialist. Keep praying ladies." and the doctor as he headed for the elevator.

"If they don't know what it is, I'll bet it's not a natural problem. If we only knew what happened, lamented Phoebe as a premonition popped into her head. Everything went black and gray as Pheebs saw the incident from an hour earlier.

"It was definitely a planned attack. Something is after her or us," explained Pheebs. "She was poisoned from a trick ring on purpose. Only the Book Of Shadows can help her now. Let's go home and look."

"PHOEBE! What about Prue?" asked Piper still frantic.

"We can do more for her there. We'll keep in touch with the hospital. Hurry, there's no time to lose!" warned Phoebe.

In the attic at Halliwell Manor Piper and Phoebe looked up the symptoms that Prue was suffering from.

"Whoa, here it is Pheebs." exclaimed Piper who had calmed down.

Piper read, "The Sharmac tribe of Central America had developed a poison to ward off evil sorcerers that caused the victims to develop bright green skin irritations, to run a high fever and literally poison themselves from within. Death was within two days after taking in the poison. There is no known antidote. The Sharmac tribe has been extinct since the 1930's. A sacred idol had been used to combat the poison and it's last known location was the Museum of Antiquities and Oddities in San Francisco in April, 1906."

"No known antidote? Oh God, Piper. We have to save Prue some how." said Pheebs. "We just can't let her die. We can't survive without the Power of Three!"

"All right. Let's figure this out logically. There is no known antidote. We don't have a spell to cure her. The tribe that used it no longer exists and the only known treatment is using an idol that has not been seen since 1906. We have to find that idol." said Piper.

Checking the local San Francisco historical sites on the web, they found that the museum in question burned in the fire after the San Francisco earthquake. There were no known artifacts from the museum to survive and that idol was not listed in any references they could find.

"Great. Another dead end. Prue is screwed," said Phoebe holding back some tears.

"Not necessarily. We do know where it was and we have dealt with this problem before," said Piper thoughtfully.

"You want us to go back and get it? That sounds awfully dangerous. We don't know that era very well. There was an earthquake and San Francisco burned to the ground. At least we had lived through the seventies when we went back to then." said Phoebe nervously.

"Pheebs, it's Prue's only chance. Grams had some real old clothes in a trunk I ran across last month," said Piper.

Piper pulled out a very old brown traveling trunk with large straps and tarnished brass buckles.

"Here we are. Look at this beautiful old dress. Maroon with ivory buttons. I wonder whom it belonged to?" asked Piper as she held it up to herself in from of the mirror.

"Looks super, Piper. But what about Prue? In the bottom it looks like someone is all packed waiting to travel somewhere. This is not just a trunk of old memories. Look in this small chest. Pictures, notes, letters, MONEY!" exclaimed Pheebs.

"Whoa. What a treasure trove!" said Piper picking up the first envelope. "Wow, no way" she said looking at the first envelope. On the envelope it said "Phoebe Halliwell." "OH, PF-F-EES! This letter has your NAME ON IT."

"Come on, Piper. No way! It must be a different person. It must be a coincidence." said Phoebe as she opened the still sealed letter and read:

"Dear Piper and Phoebe,

Prue is very sick and needs our help. The idol you need is at the Museum of Oddities and Antiquities at Ninth and Mission. You must get it before the San Francisco fire destroys the museum on April 18th, 1906. There is plenty of traveling gear and money in the trunk. Check into the Stephens Boarding House on Seventeenth and Treat. Contact Mrs. Antares at the museum to acquire the statue. Steal it if you have to. Don't interact more than you have to with the citizens of 1906 San Francisco. A traveling spell is enclosed to get you there and back. Piper, stay with Prue. Pheebs, arrive there on April 16th. You will have two days. Leave this trunk with your Great-Great-Great Aunt Prudence O'Dell on California, between Buchanan and Laguna. Everything depends on you, Pheebs. Good luck.

The Power Of Three Will Set You Free.

Phoebe Halliwell

April 16, 1907"

"Why me? Why do I have to go alone?" asked Phoebe.

"Because you already have. OK. Let's get you ready" said Piper sternly.

"But this time travelling stuff gives me the jeebies.. I might not ever come back and you won't be able to find me. Oh, Piper, I'm so scared." said Phoebe who after two years of being a witch was hard to scare anymore.

Phoebe tried on the dress and it fit exactly. All the other necessary undergarments she needed were in the trunk. She had enough gear for a week's journey, even through her destination was almost a hundred years in the past. With her hair up on her head, she looked very old fashioned.

"It doesn't look too bad and it fits great. When did I have it made for myself? I know the generalities, but Prue knows more about the past than I do. History was not my best subject. At least in the seventies everything looked and operated pretty much the same. This is going to be major weird!" said Phoebe shaking her head.

"Pheebs, you have to use a more formal manner of speech. Your slang was not used anywhere in 1906. Just tell them your family is back east it Boston, which it was then, Mistress Phoebe Halliwell. A lot of things will be cruder and rougher. Life was shorter, sanitation was cruder, people had many more prejudices and you as a woman will be in a weaker position than now. My free spirited younger sister, you will have to watch where you go, what you say and what you do," warned Piper.

"And I'll buy up all the land on the west side of town. That's worth a fortune now," Pheebs said with dollar signs in her eyes.

"NO! You are there for one reason, to get that idol to help Prue. You've already been warned by yourself. Who could you trust more?" asked Piper.

"Goodness gracious, this is a daunting task ahead of me!" replied Phoebe.

"Now you're getting into the spirit of it!" congratulated Piper.

"Remember you're Miss Halliwell from back east. You are touring the west looking for interesting spiritual artifacts. And the idol is exactly what you're looking for!"

"Quite true. We must motor into the city for a suitable place to commence my journey. I left myself a map of the pre-fire city and the corner in front of the boarding house will do quite nicely." said Phoebe.

"MMMMMMM. You're sounding good to me. But what do I know. That was sixty plus years before I was born. Let's get started!" said Piper.

The girls took the trunk down to Piper's Cherokee and headed into the city.

On the corner in question was an old dusty office building that was built after the fire. The boarding house survived the earthquake and fire, but not the middle of the twentieth century. They unloaded the trunk and Piper gave Pheebs a big hug.

"This is unlike any task we witches have done yet. You be careful Pheebs and come back to us. We both need you. God speed. I love you, Phoebe." said Piper holding her tears back.

"I love you, too. Here goes nothing." Phoebe recited the spell

"Days to seconds, years to hours, send me through time, thy mystic powers. April 16, 1906, 5 a.m. Bye, Pips!" chirped Pheebs.

Phoebe disappeared in a smoke colored haze and Piper was all alone. Piper's final thought was that if this didn't work, she would be the last of the Halliwell's.

From Phoebe's point of view, the mist surrounded her and when it cleared she seemed to be standing on the same street corner though all the buildings looked different.

From behind her, she heard, "Blimey, Miss, pardon me, but where did you come from?" The voice came from an old English drunk sleeping one off in the basement doorway.

"I'm from Boston. Excuse me." said Phoebe sounding a little uppity.

The Stephens Boarding House rose in front of her. She climbed the steps and knocked on the door. She had to knock three times before someone answered.

"Yes, what is it. Decent folk are not woken up at this hour. Yes, yes, what is it?" said a middleaged woman in her sleeping garments

"Excuse me, I am freshly in the city from Boston and need a room to stay in. Your boarding house was recommended by ...my aunt," explained Phoebe.

"And who is she? Do I know her?" she asked.

"Prudence O'Dell. She resides over on California Street. She could not take me in at this time. I was hoping for some accommodations here," Phoebe asked sweetly.

"I have heard of the family. They are respectable people. I usually require a letter of introduction, but we can't leave a fine lady like you out on the streets at this hour. Come in, come in. John come and get this bag, put it in the kitchen!" called out the landlady. An old Negro came from the back and picked up the trunk and carried it in.

"My name is Mrs. Melanie Stephens. Who do I have the acquaintance of?" Mrs. Stephens asked.

"Miss Halliwell, Phoebe. It is a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Stephens," said Pheebs offering her hand.

"How long do you need lodging, Miss Halliwell?" Mrs. Stephens inquired.

"For less than a week. I am touring the...er..state for oddities for my...er..my father's collection backin Boston." said Phoebe.

"How interesting. You don't sound like you're from Boston," she replied.

"No, I have traveled a lot," said Pheebs.

"Grand tour, I suppose." she said.

"Uh, yes. Yes I did," said Pheebs unsure of herself.

"That's wonderful. Never been out of the state myself. Mr. Stephens was a sea captain. Never came back after '88. Lost in the China Sea, they say. Lodging and dinner are $3.75 a week. No cooking or gentleman friends in the rooms. Your room won't be ready for a while. Wait in the parlor and I'll bring you a cup of tea." said Mrs. Stephens as she ushered Phoebe to a chair in the parlor.

"Thank you. You are very kind," Phoebe replied.

While Phoebe was waiting for her tea, she looked with interest around the parlor. Since Grams had a lot of antiques, she was quite comfortable in the parlor. Phoebe picked up the paper and found nothing but ads on the front page. The type was too small for her tastes and she couldn't find a features section, so she put it down. On the table next to her there were a stack of stereo pictures and a viewer. She flipped through some pictures of some soldiers and horses in some tropical settling and a lot of travel photos showing Niagara Falls and Yellowstone. She found them interesting but figured this was about as multimedia as they get in 1906.

Mrs. Stephens brought in a cup of tea and a sour dough roll. "Did you have a pleasant journey, Miss Halliwell?" she asked.

"I would be very pleased if you would call me, Phoebe," said Phoebe.

"That is kind of you, but I do not address any of my boarders in such a manner. Did you only arrive in the city this morning?" Mrs. Stephens inquired.

"Just before I knocked on your door. I came right over from the ...er..train station." said Pheebs.

"I didn't know any of the over-nighters arrived so early in the morning," replied Mrs. Stephens.

"Ummm. We were delayed by...um.. Indians?" said Pheebs taking a stab at reason for the delay.

"Indians? We haven't had any trouble out here since '92," said Mrs. Stephens.

"Well, I guess you never know about those things!" Changing the subject Pheebs said, "So what do you do

in the evenings for fun..er..entertainment?"

"We do have a gramophone and sometimes Mr. Davidson plays the piano and we stand around singing. He has several students and is going to play for Mr. Caruso's singing coach before his performance tomorrow night. He is very fortunate to hear him. I would love to see him at the opera. He is in town only for a short time," Mrs. Stephens said looking envious.

"Enrico Caruso? The opera singer? I had no idea he was here in this place at this time. Does he sing on the radio?" asked Phoebe.

"The radiator? How quaint. What do you mean?" asked a perplexed Mrs. Stephens.

"Over the airwaves, the sound travels like with your record ...gramophone," said Phoebe as she tried to explain.

"You mean a wireless? I had only heard they use the Morse code over it. That sounds marvelous if you have such wonders in Boston. I understand Marconi has sent signals clear across the ocean to Paris! Imagine learning what is happening on the continent just has it happens. What a marvelous age we live in!" exclaimed Mrs. Stephens.

"JUST...MARVELOUS!" said Phoebe trying to sound impressed.

"Mz. Stephens." said the Negro servant.

"Yes, John?"

"The room is ready for your new boarder," he said.

"Thank you. Miss Halliwell, let me show you to your room," said Mrs. Stephens showing her out of the parlor.

And they went up two flights of stairs to a brightly light room on the third floor. It contained a short bed, a dresser and a rocking chair. On the dresser was a bowl and pitcher and what Pheebs guessed was a gas fixture for light that hung on the wall. Two old pictures of what might have been Civil War battles from some magazine were framed and hung on the wall.

"I do hope you will be comfortable here." said Mrs. Stephens.

"Yes, thank you. It will be fine." said Pheebs.

"Under the bed is your chamber pot." said Mrs. Stephens.

"Hmm." said Pheebs raising her eyebrows lost at that comment.

Quietly, Mrs. Stephens explained, "In case you choose not to use the privy outback tonight. We'll empty it in the morning. Dinner is at six. Good day, Miss Halliwell."

"G-g-good day." said Pheebs feeling a little queasy upon hearing about her chamber pot.. "I get ya," she thought, "No indoor plumbing. No hot showers either. At least it's only a couple of days. I've been at camps with better facilities than this. But then it is all for Prue."

After freshening up a bit, Phoebe studied the notes left to herself and went out into the streets. This was her first experience with large crowds in 1906. Everyone seemed so alive when you were only used to black and white photographs. Everyone was in color and each face looked different. Just as in Phoebe's time everyone had a different expression, a different place to go and was reacting to the city differently. People just didn't seem as much in a hurry. Somehow San Francisco, the city she lived in most of her life seemed like a small town. The city did not seem too familiar till she got to see a good view of the bay. The tall buildings of the latter part of the twentieth century did not block her view. The bay, the hills and islands really had not changed in a hundred years. Alcatraz was still down there with the prison located on it. There was no Oakland Bay Bridge or any Golden Gate Bridge. Somewhere she remembered a teacher saying that the whole entrance to the harbor was called the Golden Gate. It was a beautiful sight in the early morning light. No fog drifted in today. The whole city looked wonderful. Pheebs walked along briskly passing most of the other pedestrians casually walking down the street. She reached the Museum of Oddities and Antiquities at about 9 A.M. It was what Pheebs considered a very quaint old building. Of course, everything today could be considered quaint. It was three stories high with a sign proclaiming it to the Museum of Oddities and Antiquities, full of spiritual and religious artifacts. On the front door was a note indicating that the proprietress would be out of the city for the next two days. Pheebs heart sunk very heavily. She pulled the bell pull on the door several times with no response. Then she knocked and knocked and no one answered. After stamping her foot loudly she sat down on the steps with her head in her hands.

"Can I help you, Miss?" asked a stranger's voice.

Pheebs looked up at a San Francisco policeman that resembled a Keystone Cop. Pheebs fighting back tears said, "N-n-no. I have come a very long way to find this place..er..museum closed. It really pis...I am very upset about it. Thank you for your inquiry, officer, but I will be on my way."

"Very good, Miss. Good day." said the officer as he tipped his hat and walked away.

Pheebs was still not used to the courtesy that everyone gave her. She looked at the building and then went down the alley to check it out. It is a quite a fortress to break into. Bars were on all the windows and the locks and hinges of the time were large and made of iron. Without Prue's power, she gave up very reluctantly and headed back to the Stephens' Boarding House. She only had two days to wait. Time was really not a problem since she could return to 2000 at the very moment she left. She could spend months looking for the idol without endangering Prue's life.

Phoebe decided next to visit her great-great-great aunt to make arrangements for the trunk. She had been by that house many times but never knew it belonged to her father's relatives. In present day it is a legal office, but in 1906 it was a fine private residence made of brick with a long porch and a swing out front. Pheebs walked up to the door and turned the bell located in it's center. It sounded like an old fire alarm, but much slower.

A woman came to the door, opened it and said, "Can I help you, Miss?"

"PRUE," said Pheebs very surprised since the woman was a dead ringer for her sister, though probably ten years older.

"I beg you pardon. I don't believe we have been introduced! My name is Prudence, but that is not proper way to address me. And who are you?" said Prudence O'Dell.

"Well, I am...IT was just shock, please excuse me, but you look so much like my sister whose name is Prudence. My name is Phoebe, Phoebe Halliwell." explained Pheebs.

"Halliwell. I don't know any Halliwell's in our family that would account for my resemblance to your sister. If you'll excuse me, I much be getting back to my chores. Good day, Miss Halliwell." said Mrs. O'Dell as she was closing the door.

"No wait, please..." said Pheebs as she put her hand on the door. Then she had a premonition; two men coming up and shooting a man standing in the front door with a small girl screaming from the adjacent hallway. She came back to the present and found Prudence O'Dell was holding her.

"Goodness gracious, are you having a spell? Please come in and sit a few minutes. I will get you some water." she said.

"No, no, I'm OK. I just saw something, a man being shot on the porch here!" said Pheebs looking quite anxious.

"Saints preserve me! How did you know that? That was my father. Some ruffians on this very porch shot him when I was a girl! How did you know?" asked Prudence.

"I can see the past and future. It is very vivid and where emotional incidents occur the visions can be very strong." said Pheebs fully recovered now.

"You have second sight? My mother had visions at times. Nothing as strong as yours. She...she...will I shouldn't be telling you...but she practiced black magic!" said Prudence quietly.

"That's cool, I mean that's a coincidence, so does my sister Prue- Prudence. You see we are..um...witches. It's very strong on our mother's side. I didn't know we had it on our father's...oops!" said Pheebs after saying too much.

"Your father's side? Let me look at you. You could be one of our family! How are you related to me Miss Halliwell?" said

Prudence with an expression she had or will see on Prue's face. "Well, ya see, it's kinda this way...I am one of your ...um...wow...jeez...descendants. My father will be your great-great nephew Victor." said Pheebs quite timidly.

"My husband's brother's name is Victor. Maybe he's your, let me see, great-great-grandfather," said Prudence.

"Maybe. I really don't know my father's family that well. You're not surprised? Most people would freak out...um...be scared." exclaimed Pheebs.

"I have seen many strange things and there are just too many coincidences for it not to be true. From when are you from, my great-great-great niece?" asked Prudence.

"I'd really rather not say. I shouldn't let anyone know about the future!" said Pheebs.

"Then that is the way it must be though you must have come from a hundred years hence, Phoebe. Can I call you that, my dear?" asked Prudence.

"Certainly, um, Aunt Prudence, if I may do the same?" asked Pheebs smiling for the first time since she had arrived in 1906. Strange as it may seem, she had found family and did not feel so lost anymore.

"I am your aunt. Please do. So do I really look like my niece Prudence?" inquired Prudence.

"I saw a lot of Prue in you, but you have my father around the eyes." said Phoebe looking closely at her aunt.

"So what brought you to my house, so many years from your own? It must be a very important task, I must say." said Aunt Prudence.

"My sister Prudence is very sick and I came back to find a religious artifact to help cure her. So I can take the trip back in time, I need to leave my trunk with you so it can be left to my father. That is the connection I had between my time and yours." said Pheebs with great urgency in her voice.

"Heavens! How can a cure be here a hundred years before help someone in your time?" asked Prudence.

"The disease she contracted only affects witches. In San Francisco, in this year was the last time the idol that can cure her was known to exist. It is in the Museum of Oddities and Antiquities on Mission St. Unfortunately it was closed today." said Pheebs sadly. "I'll have to wait till it re-opens the day after tomorrow."

"Well. I'm sure you can get it done, Phoebe. You are a very determined young woman." said Aunt Prudence. "Whenever you want to leave the trunk with me, I will make sure that your father's family gets it."

"Thank you, Aunt Prudence." said Pheebs giving her a big hug. "And thank you for making me feel at home!

I'll see you again in a day or two." said Pheebs as she headed out the door.

"Good-bye Phoebe and God bless!' said Aunt Prudence waving from the porch.

At dinner that night, Phoebe met the rest of the guests of the boarding house. Mrs. Stephens rung the dinner bell and about fifteen people gathered around the table. Two family groups and several single boarders, both male and female of varying ethnic groups. Dinner consisted of a family style meal of potatoes and vegetables and pork roast. All of the food was fattier and greasier than she would have eaten, but she smiled and looked like she enjoyed it. Many tried to find out about their pretty new boarder. Phoebe only gave short answers and kept to herself. The conversation varied from local entertainment to the professions of the boarders to politics. Phoebe was lost through most of the conversation though she recognized when Enrico Caruso and President Theodore Roosevelt were mentioned. After dinner, the younger and middleaged single boarders gathered around the piano to sing. Phoebe listened, but did not know one of the songs sung. They seemed to be having a lot of fun, but she didn't think she would fit in. Everyone went to bed early by Phoebe's standards. John came in and lit the gaslight and Pheebs did turn it down before she crawled into bed. Wearing a nightgown she found in her trunk, she found the bed very high and very hard. She drifted off to sleep dreaming of her life and all the things she used to take for granted.

Early the next morning she woke up first wondering why everything was so quiet, not a car sound within earshot. Then she remembered her mission and got up. It was very cold, there was no heat coming through the old radiator. She washed up and dressed and came downstairs. Mrs. Stephens offered Phoebe a cup of tea that Pheebs graciously accepted. While the tea warmed her up, she told Mrs. Stephens about her unfortunate luck yesterday at the museum and of her visit with her aunt. Then off she went to see some of the city. Phoebe started out on a trolley going down Market Street. The street was full of men heading to work and women heading out to shop. There were windows everywhere full of clothing and other wearing apparel. Gloves and hats and button shoes and dresses with a multitude of folds and bows. None of the buildings looked familiar, thought Phoebe, most of this area must have been leveled in the earthquake. Some of the young men who tipped their hats to Phoebe looked cute, but they were too formal for her tastes. When they reached the end of Market St. she found an old friend. Or for now it was a younger friend. The Ferry Building stood there with lots of people heading into it to catch a ferry to Oakland. She departed the trolley and walked down East St. North, though today it was known as the Embarcadero. The bay was beautiful with the seagulls flying overhead and the much clearer water lapping at the piers she passed. While walking by Telegraph Hill, she paused and took a deep breath. Even the Coit Tower, which had been there for seventy years was not there. My, she thought, this is a different world altogether. On her way back to the boarding house, she found a pub and tried to get some lunch.

"Here now, Missy, where might you be going?" said the proprietor.

"I merely wanted to get some luncheon," said Phoebe.

"No, women allowed. You wouldn't like the chow we serve, Missy. Try the Blue Parrot Tea Room in the next block. Good day, to you Missy." he said to a very surprised Phoebe.

At the Blue Parrot she had tea and some small sandwiches. They weren't too bad, but Phoebe liked her sandwiches piled high. Many women who had been shopping sat at tables talking mainly about husbands, children and their households. A far cry from the sometimes intimate discussions she has with her sisters.

"Oh, Prue," thought Phoebe, "I do hope and pray I will be successful. Piper and I just can't survive without you. It does take all three of us." Phoebe was surprised even her idle thoughts were sounding more like the era she was in.

Near the boarding house she found a movie theater or nickelodeon. Phoebe paid her nickel and went in to see it. The theater only had wooden chairs and a piano to supply sound. Though she laughed through about half of the picture, Phoebe found it rather silly after a while. By early afternoon, she found herself back at Mrs. Stephen's Boarding House. All the walking in her early American shoes had taken a toll on her feet. She soaked them awhile in her washbasin and took a nap before dinner. That evening she at least joined the other boarders around the gramophone. One of the guests, a Mr. Jack London played the ukulele for Phoebe trying to get her attention. The plunk-plunk of the strings and the off key voice sounded very funny to Pheebs who kept a very polite expression on her face. She went off to bed again determined to help her sister in the morning.

Early in the morning Pheebs was curled up on one side of her bed. She was dreaming of an after-noon Grams and her sisters had spent touring the harbor. It was a lovely warm summer afternoon when everyone was happy. No fighting, no sibling rivalry, just a fun afternoon out with the family. Then a rumbling that lasted twelve seconds rocked her whole room. Before the rocking was finished, Phoebe was wide-awake. Her bed remained where it was the night before, but her dresser and rocking chair had moved several feet Her wash basin and pitcher had slid off the dresser and landed on the floor with a loud shattering sound. First Pheebs thought of the tremors she had heard dozens of times before, then she remembered the 1989 earthquake that severely shook the city.

Finally she realized that this was the big one. She had just experienced THE San Francisco Earthquake It was 5:12 in the morning.

"My God! I should have told myself when the quake was coming. Now I must get moving and complete my mission." she said to herself.

After quickly dressing, she packed her trunk and took it downstairs herself. In the streets, people were wandering around in a daze. Some were halfdressed or in their bed clothes or even dressed in their finest eveningwear. While they looked dazed, Phoebe looked frantic. There were smoky fires everywhere. Nothing too close.

"At least the quake didn't level the whole city," she thought.

A grocery wagon came by which Phoebe asked to stop. She wanted him to take her and her trunk over to her aunt's house. At first he refused, but Phoebe offered him a twenty dollar tip. She didn't think it was that great, but he was just offered three weeks takehome pay. He helped her with the trunk and then helped Pheebs onto the frontbench. It was a rough ride over the cobblestones and slow through a street full of people. Some of the people they passed were now starting to gather up there belongings and walking though the streets. Pheebs and her driver did not get near any of the fires, but they did pass by downed electrical wires and broken water mains. Phoebe now understood why the fire was so bad since they had no water pressure. At her Aunt Prue's house, they unloaded the trunk and the driver went off hoping to get similar tips to the one Pheebs had given him.

"Lord'o'mercy child, what are you doing out in this calamity?" her aunt said when she saw Pheebs.

"Please help me with the trunk." Pheebs pleaded. "It's very important."

"I know, come on in!" said the aunt as they huffed and puffed into the house.

"I have got to get going. Thank you, Aunt Prudence. I will never forget you," said Pheebs as she gave her a great big hug and kiss.

"I'll take care of it. Phoebe. Don't you fret about it. But one question, child. Did you know about this disaster?" asked Aunt Prudence.

Phoebe just nodded half-heartedly.

"No wonder you didn't want to tell me. I assume that my house survives, is that why I have the trunk?" she inquired.

Pheebs just nodded again.

"That is comforting. Thank you, my little niece. Now off with you and may the grace of God go with you!" she called out as Pheebs headed for the Museum of Oddities and Antiquities.

The river of people had changed to a torrent as she headed for the corner of Ninth and Mission. While earlier the refugees were wandering the streets with no sense of direction, now they seemed to be heading the opposite direction Pheebs wanted to go. People of all nationalities and classes were brushing by her without the courtesy they had given her the last two days. As she tried to cross the street at Ninth, a fire engine drawn by four horses nearly ran her over heading for the smoke that appeared much closer than earlier. Pheebs had never seen panic on such a grand scale before. Besides the broken water lines, some parts of the streets were blocked by masonry fallen from the houses lining the street. She was having a hard time trying to negotiate running over the cobblestones in the street. Upon arriving at the museum, she was relieved that it was intact. Most of the buildings she encountered had little damage from the earthquake, the museum being one of them. She rushed up the stone steps and when touching the door handle she had a premonition. She saw a woman trapped under some bookcases having difficulty breathing. Luckily, this time the door was unlocked and Phoebe rushed in looking for the woman. Inside what had been an elegant old house, even by 1906 standards, she found many shelves lined with old artifacts and hand lettered signs identifying them. Most of the items were religious artifacts from all over the world. Some may have been only attributed to be genuine, but it seemed to cover most of history and most of the world's great religions. Many had been knocked off their shelves. Phoebe made her way through the exhibits and found what appeared to be a library in the rear. Three of the bookcases had been knocked over and a woman was trapped under them.

"Are you alright under there? I will try to pull you out!" Pheebs called to her. No sound came from under the bookcases.

Pheebs propped the bookcases up with a couple of chairs because they were made of oak and were very heavy. The woman was unconscious, but did not seem to be hurt. She was very lucky. Pheebs got some water from the kitchen and put a cold compress on her head.

"Wake up. Come on, you can do it!" said Pheebs urging her along.

The woman started to come around saying, "OH my, oh my. What has happened to me? I am all a fluttered."

"There was a big earthquake. You got caught under some furniture that fell on you. We have to get out of here, there is a fire coming this way." said Phoebe.

"Fire? Isn't the fire department dealing with the blaze?" she inquired a little more awake.

"There's no water and there are fires all over the city. This building is right in the path of one of them." said Pheebs with more concern in her voice.

"Then we must flee. I have to save some of the collections.

Can you help me? Who are you, Miss...?"

"Miss Phoebe, Phoebe Halliwell. It would be a pleasure to meet you under better circumstances." said Pheebs.

"I am Mrs. Tabitha Antares, the proprietress of this museum. There is a horse and buggy in the stable out back. We can load it with what we can and head for safety. How did you come to save me?" she inquired heading for the front exhibition hall.

"I was in the city looking for some religious artifacts and you have a Sharmac idol I was interested in purchasing. Do you still have it?" Pheebs asked with great interest.

"Oh, yes. That means very little to me. It's not one of the pieces I really want to save. Help me here and it's yours with my compliments. My late husband brought that back from Central America twenty years ago and it was never one of my favorite pieces. Please, Miss Halliwell, let's hurry." she said urgently.

Pheebs almost burst into tears. She now had the object of her mission and Prue could be saved. But first she had to get back. Mrs. Antares was running around trying to collect her things. The family silver, family pictures, some clothing to keep warm and the heart of the museum. She had several artifacts from the Holy Land including a lamp blessed at the Church of the Nativity from Bethlehem and part of the cross that Jesus had been nailed to. She also had several items from the Moslem, Hebrew and Hindu faiths, too. Everything was quickly boxed and taken out to the stables. He last thing that Mrs. Antares grabbed was the idol that Phoebe had come so very far for. Pheebs helped her back the horses from their stalls and harness them to the buggy. Without even locking the front door, they both climbed in and headed out with the mass exodus of the refugees. Phoebe wanted to head for the Stephens Boarding House, but Mrs. Antares preferred to head inland to the safety of the hills. That was the general direction of the noisy mob. They made it to Market Street and headed away from the fire. As the city started to thin out into smaller houses with more yard space Pheebs decided to leave her hostess.

"I have got to get to back to Seventeenth Street before the fires reach there." Pheebs said.

"For heavens name why? Isn't your life worth more than anything left back there?" said Mrs. Antares.

"It's really an emergency and I can't explain it now." said Pheebs as she reached for the idol. "Thank you, thank you for the idol. It really does mean the difference between life and death. Good luck and thanks for the ride!" said Pheebs dropping her more formal speech pattern.

"You're quite welcome. Miss Halliwell. And thank you for saving me. You are a Godsend. Bless you and farewell," she said. With a flip of the reins she headed out of the city.

"It's all in a day's work of the Charmed Ones," thought Pheebs as she headed back into the city.

Phoebe switched over to a smaller road paralleling Market St. that was not as swollen with refugees. Phoebe got strange looks as people saw her heading back into town. The smaller houses turned into the steady rows of city dwellings as she got nearer to the smoke and fire. Phoebe made it through the Mission District and was within in a few blocks of her destination when what look like a soldier in a Smokey-the-Bear hat stopped her.

"Halt! Where are you heading, Mam? Everyone is exiting the city." the soldier said.

"I'm just going over to the Stephen's Boarding House over on Seventeenth. I have a room there and MUST collect my things. So if you'll please excuse me," explained Phoebe.

"What's that in your hands? You know, we have orders to shoot looters on sight, Mam" said the soldier almost apologetically.

"Looters? I should say not. This stature is not hot...er..stolen. It has been in my family for years. I should say," said Phoebe. She was nervous bluffing an armed soldier when she knew she couldn't prove that it was hers.

"I'll take your word for it, Mam. Just don't stay in this vicinity long. I don't know how quickly the flames might get here. Good day to you," the soldier said leaving with his fellow militiamen.

"That was close," she thought as she turned onto Seventeenth. Then she came to a small crying child no more than six who was looking for his mother. He was still dressed in his nightclothes and sitting on the steps in front of the rubble of an older elegant house.

"Help me, help me," he cried.

"What's wrong, little one?" inquired Phoebe.

"My mama never got out of the house before it collapsed. She's trapped inside. Please help me," He said pleading with her.

Phoebe put her hand on the steps and tried to summon up the image of his mother. She could she her running from the house crying for her son and then was dragged along with the mass exodus to one of the refugee camps.

"Does your mother have brown hair and was she wearing a green and blue frock with lace?" she asked.

"Uh, huh," said the little boy.

"Follow the crowd up to Twin Peaks. You'll find her there with the other members of your household," said Pheebs.

"How do you know that?" asked the little boy whose face was all screwed up in wonder.

"I'm a witch, but a good witch just the same. Now off you go. Get a ride on that cart over there. Sir, would you stop and make sure this find young man gets to his mother up on Twin Peaks?"

"Oh course, Miss. Glad to help. Come one, son. Good day," said the driver of the cart.

"Good luck. Have a nice day." said Pheebs who realized she was ahead of the times with his expressions. She finally got to the boarding house and found Mrs. Stephens frantically loading valuables on a buckboard.

"Miss Halliwell, what are you doing back here. We thought that you left early this morning," she said.

"Oh I have one more task before I leave, here is five dollars for the room. The stay was fascinating. I will be telling my grandchildren about," said Phoebe.

"Well, my I don't have the correct change. And you were here only two nights." said Mrs. Stephens.

"Think nothing of it. Now you better evacuate. Thank you so much for your hospitality. And God Speed you on," said Pheebs trying to end her stay in 1906.

"Well then. Good day to you, Miss Halliwell. And thank you. Farewell and good luck to you. John, go get the rest of the silver..." Mrs. Stephen said returning to her packing.

Pheebs just backed out of the way a few feet from her original starting place and recited, "Days to seconds, years to hours, send me through time, thy mystic powers to whence my journey began."

A smoky mist surrounded Phoebe and she disappeared from view.

Piper had just left Phoebe thinking that if this didn't work, she might be the last of the Halliwell's.

"Piper, I made it!" exclaimed Pheebs from behind her.

"Whoa-whoa-whoaaa. Where did you come from Phoebe? You only left a moment ago. Didn't it work?" she asked sadly.

"It worked and I have the idol. See?" said Pheebs showing her new possession proudly. "Since I was traveling through time I came back to the same time I left. Prue hasn't gotten any worse. Let's go to her now!"

"I don't get all this time travel stuff! Let's go to Prue, and thank you, Pheebs. You are a wonderful sister!" she said with a big hug.

"I love you, too!" replied Pheebs and off they went.

When they arrived at the hospital, one of the doctors ran over to them. "We have been trying to reach you. Her vital signs are getting weaker and the skin irritation has been spreading. We haven't yet found the cause of the malady. You can go in for a minute and see her."

Piper and Pheebs put on masks and went to her bedside. She was still in a coma and looked like moss was growing on her. Only one nurse was checking the monitors in her room. They pulled out the idol and recited with tear filled eyes.

"Naha blumba kinjo otta pricka neger. Naha blumba kinjo otta pricka neger Naha blumba kinjo otta pricka neger Naha blumba kinjo otta pricka neger Naha blumba kinjo otta pricka neger Naha blumba kinjo otta pricka neger."

"What is that?" asked the nurse.

"An old family chant. We do it over the sick and ailing," said Pheebs.

"What ever floats your boat!" replied the nurse, who started noticing Prue's vital signs were getting stronger. "Doctor, oh, doctor!" she cried.

Phoebe and Piper's eyes widened and their grins that got bigger and bigger.

"Come on Prue. You can do it. Come back to us!" said Piper.

"Prue, come on, we love you and we want you back with us. Prue, Prue!" said Phoebe on the verge of "happy" tears.

By the time the Doctor returned, Prue was blinking,her eyes open and she tried to speak. Her sisters just leaned over hugging her and thanking whatever god the idol represented.

"P-p-p-pip-er. Pho-bee. What happened? I last remember looking at an old ring in my office and then I passed out," said Prue weakly.

"And now you CAME BACK to us, Prue. We thought we'd lost you. We all love you and ... " which was all Piper could get out.

The Doctor asked the sisters to leave while they examined her. As they were leaving they heard the nurse saying that her sisters were chanting over her and all of the sudden she got better.

"That was either a remarkable coincidence or a miracle." the doctor replied.

Piper and Phoebe knew the true story.

Three days later, Piper and Pheebs walked into Prue's room that was felled with flowers.

"Look's like more flowers from Jack!" commented Pheebs.

Prue was sitting up in bed without a sign of ever having been sick. Her laptop was in front of her and she was on her cell phone with her assistant at Buckland's. When she saw her sisters she gave them a big smile and excused herself from the phone.

"I thought the Doctor told you to get some sleep." reminded Piper to Prue.

"Doctor Hanson told me to relax. I have checked my mail, run through next week's auction inventory and set up next week's meetings with Anne. NOW I am fully relaxed. Besides, I will be back at Buckland's on Monday and I don't want any surprises!" said Prue.

"Nice flowers. From an admirer?" asked Pheebs with a touch of irony.

"All from Jack. I'm going to have to do a serious reassessment of him. He's gone from a thorn in my side to ...well... a flutter in my heart." said Prue.

"Are we falling for someone, Prudence Halliwell? Ow, well. My, my. Congratulations." said Piper sounding very romantic.

"Don't print the invitations yet. I have to get out of here first!" said Prue.

"And that would be...?" asked Pheebs.

"Day after tomorrow. The Doctors don't want me to leave. I'm an interesting case and will probably get written up in some stuffy medical journal!" laughed Prue.

"Don't they get many witches with tropical diseases?" whispered Pheebs.

"Did the results of your tests show anything?" asked Piper.

"They found nothing out of the ordinary, which leads me to think I was sick with a magical disease. Those Sharmac's knew what they were doing. It would kill witches and warlocks very easily," said Prue.

"Any leads on the warlock who infected you? I didn't find anything on the Internet." said Pheebs.

"Well, all of his credentials were phony." said Prue. "But I have no doubt that we will be seeing him again. Pheebs, that was some adventure you had in old San Francisco. You REALLY lived through the quake!" Taking her sister's hands, she said, "And you went through all that dangers just for me. You are a very brave young woman and I love you dearly for it. Thank you, Phoebe."

Prue kissed her and Phoebe was almost blushing, "Prue, I, um, well we with all our fighting, I really didn't think you cared, I mean, THAT much. I do love you, too. AND we couldn't survive without your constant worrying, your telekinesis, your good humor or your constant love. Don't ever leave us, Prue Halliwell!" And they hugged even tighter.

"The same goes for the middle sister, too. But it is really neat to see both of you getting along so well. Wow!" said Piper almost to tears.

And the Charmed Ones were back together again.

THE END


End file.
